Oil separator for refrigeration systems



June 1, 1943. E, RAMCLOW on SEPARATOR FOR REFRIGERATION SYSTEM Filed Aug. 3, 1940 June 1,1943. A. E. RAMCLOW OIL SEPARATOR FOR REFRIGERATION SYSTEM Filed Aug; 3, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 bu/Qui e?" 6068f flax 205041 Patented June 1, 1943 OIL SEPARATOR FOR REFRIGERATKGN SYSTEMS Axel E. Ramclow, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Mills Novelty Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application August 3, 1940, Serial No. 350,249

Claims.

This invention relates to an oil separator for a refrigeration system of the compressor-condenser type and has for its general object the provision of improved means for separating any oil that may be carried out of the compressor of the system in the discharged gas, and returning it to the crankcase of the compressor.

The specific objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof.

On the drawings:

Fig. l is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of an oil separator in which my invention is embodied;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a right angle sectional view taken substantially on the section line 3-3 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the oil-collecting unit of the separator.

The separator shown by way of illustration in said drawings comprises a tank or other suitable container ii located on the high pressure side of the system, being connected to the compressor (not shown) by means of an inlet pipe 12 having a bracket I3 formed on the outer end thereof, said bracket having holes M in its upper and lower portions to receive bolts or other fastening devices (not shown).

The pipe l2 extends through the vertical wall of the tank Ii near the top thereof and the bore I5 therein terminates in a downwardly extending opening l6 located inside said tank I I. The compressed hot gases from the compressor enter the tank through said bore l5 and opening It, and are diii'used therein due to the relatively large size of the latter as compared with the inlet pipe.

A vertically disposed cylinder ii is supported in the upper part of the tank H by means of a plate or disk iii, the periphery of which is secured to the interior of the tank wall at or near the center thereof by means of soft solder or in other suitable manner. The central part of said plate is depressed to provide a seat [9 for the lower end of the cylinder ii and an opening 2! is provided in the depressed portion of the plate.

A tube 22 is positioned concentrically within the cylinder ii, the upper end of said tube being secured by solder or in other suitable fashion to depending boss 23 formed in the top of the tank il.

Said tube 22 has a large number of sharp-edged spines or quills 24 projecting from the exterior thereof, being suitably attached to the tube and extending diagonally between the same and said cylinder l1.

The hot gases follow the course indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3, making anumber of sudden changes in direction and passing downwardly through said spines or quills 24 and into the lower part of the tank through the opening 2i. From the space below the disk 18, the vapor passes upwardlythrough a vertical pipe 25 extending through the plate 2| near the edge thereof, said pipe communicating with the bore 26 of an outlet pipe 21 communicating with the condenser (not shown) of the system, said pipe 21 having 'an attaching bracket 26 integrally formed on the outer end thereof.

Due to the sudden changes in direction of,

movement of the gases and the large number of collecting surfaces on the spines or quills 24 through which the gases pass, the oil is separated from the vapor and drains through the opening 2| into the lower part of the tank. Such oil is deposited on said spines either by reason of inertia or by direct impingement, or both, and drops downwardly, while the lighter gas, separated from the entrained oil, passes upwardly through the pipe 25 and out of the tank through the pipe 27 to the condenser. Any oil which may be deposited on the plate 58 may flow through the opening 2! by reason of a loose fit between the cylinder ll and the seat l9, or through suitable channels (not shown) leading to said opening. Furthermore, there is, or may be, a small clearance between the edges of the plate EBand the interior of the tank ll except at the points of soldering, thus providing space through which the oil may pass.

As the oil accumulates in the lower part of the tank II, a float valve, generally indicated at 29, is opened to permit flow of the oil through a return line 34, back to the crankcase of the compressor.

Said float valve comprises a member 32 fitted into the lower part of the wall of the tank and having a restricted passage 33 in the center thereof, into which extends the point of a needle valve member 34, which has an opening 35 in the rear end thereof tapered to a center point and adapted to receive a stud 36 depending from a member 31, which is pivoted at 38 to a fixed member 39 in the lower part of the tank and carries a float member 4| soldered or otherwise attached thereto. When the float member is in its lower position, the needle valve 34 is held in closed position, as shown in Fig. 1, but as the float rises the lower end of the stud 36 moves toward the right, viewing Fig. 1, thereby unseating the valve member 34 and permitting the oil to flow through the passage 33 and pipe 3! back to the crankcase of the compressor.

This return flow of the oil is accelerated by reason of the fact that there is a considerable pressure differential existing in the circuit, the oil separator being on the high pressure side of the system and the compressor crankcase on the low pressure side.

The construction above described has been found very effective in separating the oil, a certain amount of which is inevitably entrained with the discharged gases, and the efficiency of the system is greatly increased by the high degree of removal of such oil which is accomplished by th device, the practically oil-free refrigerant va or being much more efficient in action than refrigerant carrying a considerable percentage of entrained oil, as has been the case where no separator or a less efiective separator has been used.

It is of course to be understood that other means of effecting sudden changes in the direction of travel of the gases and other means of providing extensive oil-collecting surfaces could be employed without departing from the principle or scope of the invention, the structure shown being only one-of a number of forms which the invention may take. Therefore, the appended claims should be construed as broadly as is permissible in view of the prior art.

I claim:

1. An oil separator for a refrigeration system comprising a tank having inlet and outlet openings on opposite sides thereof, an oil separating element comprising a shell through which the compressed refrigerant is directed in passing from said inlet opening to said outlet opening, and a large number of spines extending transversely of said shell in the path of movement of the compressed refrigerant therethrough, said shell being open at the bottom whereby oil separated from'the compressed refrigerant by impingement thereof upon said spines may drain downwardly through and out of said shell, and an goil receptacle beneath said shell for receiving suqh oil.

2. An oil separator for a refrigeration system, comprising a tank having an inlet opening and an outlet opening at spacedpoints in the wall thereof, an open-ended sheil positioned in said tank between said openings, means for directing the incoming refrigerant in an indirect path into one end of said shell, the outlet opening communicating with the other end of the shell, a mass of spines extending transversely of said shell in the path of the refrigerant therethrcugh providing a great number of oil collecting surfaces upon which the refrigerant is caused to impinge in passing through said shell, and an oil receptacle beneath said shell for receiving oil collected by and draining from said spines.

3. An oil separator for a refrigeration system, comprising a tank extending vertically and having a division plate in the center thereof, an inlet opening in the vertical wall of the tank above said division plate, a shell positioned in the upper part of the tank and extending upwardly to a point above said inlet opening, said shell being open to the incoming gas at its upper end and its lower end resting on said division plate-the latter having an opening therein beneath the lower open end of the shell, and an oil collecting element positioned in said shell in the path of movement of the refrigerant therethrough comprising a mass of spines upon which the refrigerant is caused to impinge in passing through the shell, said outlet opening communicating with the portion of the shell beneath said division plate and the lower part of the tank beneath said plate being adapted to receive oil collected from the refrigerant by impingement upon said spines anddraining downwardly through said shell.

4. An oil separator for a refrigeration system, comprising a tank extending vertically and having a, division plate in the center thereof, an inlet opening in the vertical wall of the tank above said division plate, a shell positioned in the upper part of the tank and extending upwardly to a point above said inlet opening, said shell being open to the incoming gas at its upper end and its lower end resting on said division plate, the latter having an opening therein beneath the lower open end of the shell, and an oil collecting element positioned in said shell in the path of movement of the refrigerant therethrough comprising a mass of spines upon which the refrigerant is caused to impinge in passing through the shell, said outlet opening communicating with the portion of the shell beneath said division plate and the lower part of the tank beneath said plate being adapted to receive oil collected from the refrigerant by impingement upon said spines and draining downwardly through said shell, the refrigerant inlet to the tank being formed to direct the refrigerant downwardly in the upper part of the tank and said division plate causing the same to reverse direction and travel upwardly to the upper end of the shell through which it is again directed downwardly.

5. An oil separator for a refrigeration system, comprising a tank extending vertically and having a division plate in the center thereof, an inlet opening in the vertical wall of the tank above said division plate, a shell positioned in the upper part of the tank and extending upwardly to a point above said inlet opening, said shell being open to the incoming gas at its upper end and its lower end resting on said division plate, the latter having an opening therein beneath the lower open end of the shell, and an oil collecting element positioned in said shell in the path of movement of the refrigerant therethrough comprising a mass of spines upon which the refrigerant is caused to impinge in passing through the shell, said outlet opening communicating with the portion of the shell beneath said division plate and the lower part of the tank be neath said plate being adapted to receive oil collected from the refrigerant'by impingement upon said spines and draining downwardly through said shell, the refrigerant inlet to the tank being formed to direct the refrigerant downwardly in the upper part of the tank and said division plate causing the same to reverse direction and travel upwardly to the upper end of the shell through which it is again directed downwardly, the refrigerant outlet being positioned above the lower end of said shell and having a vertically disposed conduit extending therefrom to the lower part of the tank beneath said division plate, whereby further reversal of direction of the refrigerant is required in passing upwardly to said outlet opening.

AXEL n. RAMCLOW. 

